Puttin' on the Ritz

This has been my jam all week long!



That was by Earl Burtnett and his Biltmore Orchestra which played at the Biltmore Hotel in the 1920s-30s."Puttin' on the Ritz" was slang from back in the day.  It meant "to dress fashionably" and alluded to the swanky (that's a word that feels synonymous of the era... but acccording to Merriam-Webster, it was first used in 1842... I'm such a nerd) Ritz Hotel. 

One more:

National Jukebox!

Weeks ago, I came across this neat announcement: Amazing online archive of vintage recordings opens

Don't know why it took me so long to check it out, but I finally did.  It is truly amazing!  The amazing online archive is the Library of Congress' National Jukebox.  I have always loved early pop music recordings from the 1920s-1940s so I was super delighted to be able to easily access thousands of earlier recordings.  The National Jukebox makes more than 10,000 historical recordings available to the public.  All the recordings were made between 1901 and 1925.  

I am excited about all the cool treasures I am sure to discover!  Also interesting is the disclaimer that appears on every page of the site, "WARNING: Historical recordings may contain offensive language."  Love it.  Artifacts are important because they teach us what society was like in the past.  No need to change it to please our current mores.  

Buenas Epocas...

Buenas Epocas

One of my very first posts was about my obsession with all things vintage... music especially, Spanish oldies in particular.  The video I linked was of one of my favorite 60's salvy jams by Los Vikings called Y En Cambio Tu.  So naturally, I am totally excited about this new documentary entitled Buenas Epocas: La Nueva Ola de El Salvador (Good Times: The New Wave of El Salvador).  From my understanding, it was pretty revolutionary for Central American music... the first time there was a youth driven wave of music... and it was Rock n' Roll *gasp!*  These songs remind me of Saturday mornings when my family would blast them in the house.  So glad this film was made!  My mom will be sooo excited!  The screening will be this weekend at the gorgeous Million Dollar Theater in downtown.  The theater was the hub for Spanish-language films and entertainment during the 1940s and has continued with that legacy ever since.  It's part of the Historic Broadway Theater District.  The film screenings will be coupled with performances from some of the bands.  Later in the month, there will be a larger concert at Hollywood Park Casino... my mom will love it! 

Music Man Murray

Collector doesn't want these tracks in the trash

Murray Gershenz said he hoped a museum or college would acquire his rare 400,000-album collection. That hasn't worked out, so his next stop could be a dumpster.

His shop has been down the street from me for years... I totally want to buy some of his records... ugh!  it sucks being broke!  Poor man, I hope a school or museum does acquire his collection... how awful would it be to let it go to waste?